Parole Board Recommends Life Without Parole Instead Of Death For Gregory Lott

Gregory Lott is being held on death row at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution for the 1986 murder of John McGrath.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections

The state parole board is recommending Gov. Mike DeWine commute an East Cleveland killer’s death sentence to life in prison without parole.

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The board voted 6-2 for mercy for 58 year old Gregory Lott, who killed John McGrath by setting him on fire after breaking into McGrath’s house in July 1986. McGrath died 10 days later.

McGrath's grandson offered a statement to the board saying his family opposes the death penalty, which was cited by several parole board members who voted for clemency.

One parole board member felt it had been demonstrated that Lott is intellectually disabled, but the two who voted against clemency felt the opposite, and cited that as a reason why they voted the way they did.

Lott’s execution had been set for March, but DeWine delayed it till May of next year. And he has the final decision on clemency.

No executions have proceeded since DeWine took office last year – he’s said the state has had trouble finding drugs to carry out lethal injections.

A national group of conservatives that oppose capital punishment has made Ohio the 14th state for its campaign to repeal of the death penalty. The group says the time is right to come to Ohio, which has been one of the leading states for executions.

There hasn’t been a killer put to death in Ohio in 18 months. And the state’s last execution has likely taken place, according to the architect of Ohio’s 1981 death penalty law. But prosecutors say killing off capital punishment entirely would be a mistake.